Wanderlust
by Problem Child1
Summary: "In-N-Out?" Rory asked, following him into the rather crowded restaurant. "Just sit. I'm putting the infamous Gilmore metabolism to the penultimate test, love." F/R
1. California Bound

Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino claims ownership of Gilmore Girls. But since she so underused Tanc Sade, would she mind just handing him over?

A/N: So I'm making this an AU after season 5 in which Mitchum never offered Rory an internship, so that chain of just god awful events never happened. Basically, this is my excuse to get Finn and Rory in a car for a week. Enjoy!

Dedicated to my incredibly patient beta, **cutiepiegirl**, who must get some sort of gold star for putting up with me.

Warnings: Language, innuendo, drug use, good-natured state bashing (even my own home state!), and lots of awful singing

**Chapter 1: California Bound**

_Forget everything tomorrow_

_We'll be on a brand new road_

_Chasing the sun back to the West Coast_

_In eight hours, we're California bound_

-Caroline Liar

When the phone rang at nearly three in the afternoon, a very frustrated Rory Gilmore snatched it up off of the coffee table in her house in Stars Hollow. He was late. Maybe.

"Hey, Ace," came Logan's smooth voice from three thousand miles away. "How's the road trip going?"

"Oh, hey. I thought you might be Finn. I'm still in Stars Hollow," she replied as she nestled back into the couch.

Logan chuckled into the phone. "That sounds like Finn. It's probably why he gave you guys plenty of time to get out here. Have you tried calling him?"

"It goes straight to voicemail," she grumbled. She switched the phone from one hand to another and grabbed a pillow to put between her and the arm of the couch. "I've been waiting for two hours."

"Don't worry, Finn is a fun road trip partner, I promise. I miss you."

A small smile formed on her lips. "I miss you too. How's LA?"

"I wouldn't know, I barely leave this office. It looks nice. I think there might be sun and people outside," he joked.

"I've heard rumors about that, but I'll do some investigative reporting on your behalf when I get there," she replied teasingly.

He laughed, and she could hear a chair creaking in the background as he leaned back at his desk. "You're too good to me, Ace. Look, I'll call Finn on his other phone and see where he is. Call me when you get to your hotel tonight."

"He has two phones?" Rory asked dubiously.

"A girls phone and a guys phone," Logan confirmed. "Talk to him about it on the trip. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," Rory answered in a daze. A guys phone and a girls phone? Well, she supposed she was going to be learning a lot about Finn on this trip. When Logan had asked her to drive out to California with Finn to pick him up from his internship, she'd naturally been a bit hesitant. But her mom of all people had encouraged her to go do it, despite the fact that she'd be in a car for a week with a guy bothof them barely knew. Lorelai was insistent that it'd be good for her.

Rory picked up a book and had justbarely settled down to read it when the doorbell rang. But before she could get up to answer it Lorelai flew down the stairs and swung the door open to reveal a disheveled Australian. His khaki pants looked liked they had been on the floor of his room for a week and his hair was sticking out in more than a few directions. In his left hand he held out a single white rose meant for Lorelai, who just looked back at him.

"You smell like cigarettes," she stated.

"You scare me," he replied.

She then smiled sweetly at him and took the flower he offered to her. "Come on in, Finn."

He stepped past her and into the path of one Rory Gilmore, who stood in the entryway behind her mother with her hands on her hips. "You're late."

"Actually, love, since I never told you when I would be here, I am exactly on time," he replied as he picked up the suitcase next to her. "Did you pack enough dresses?"

"Enough dresses?" Rory repeated. "Is there a minimum dress requirement I have to have for this road trip?"

"Nebraska isn't going to be temperate. Plus I'm going out on a limb and am to assume that we're not going to be staying in the hotel all week in LA."

Lorelai laughed. "Oh, sweet Finn, you know what happens when you assume. A Gilmore always wants to sit around in a room that he or she does not have to clean themselves."

"My mistake, dear Lorelai, surely I meant that I won't allow Rory to sit around in one of the sundry hotel rooms we will be staying at during this whirlwind adventure through The Rest of America," he replied, his lips forming a small smirk.

Rory frowned at Finn. "I'm standing right here, you know."

"Of course you are," he said patronizingly.

"Hey, Hoke Colburn, why don't you take her bags to the car?" Lorelai told Finn in a manner that suggested he not try and argue with her.

He tipped an imaginary hat in her direction. "Yes, Miss Werthan." He winked at Rory and began to hum as he swung her duffel bag over his shoulder.

Lorelai swung her arm over Rory's shoulders. "You're so lucky, kid, getting to be stuck with him in the car for a week. What I wouldn't give to be young," she sighed dramatically.

"You're the one that told me to go out and explore the country while I can. And I know you don't like Logan that much -"

"What are you talking about? I think Logan is a fine, upstanding gentleman of good breeding with a high standing in society," Lorelai interrupted.

"- But I'm glad you're okay with me going on this trip," Rory finished, ignoring her mother's interruptions.

"My very own Jack Kerouac."

"Or Jan," Rory shot back.

"Whichever one you are, you're my own little Kerouac on her own adventure with someone who is questionably sane. And while I am slightly concerned with your safety, I trust your judgment," Lorelai told her daughter, squeezing her shoulder for emphasis. "Just like I trust you not to fall in love with the west coast and drop out of college and become a bohemian painter living on the streets of Venice and never coming back to me."

"In what way does that sound like me?" Rory countered.

"I just had to make sure, I have no idea what ideas Logan is putting into your head."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Mom."

"Fine, fine." Lorelai removed her arm from around her daughter and opened up the hall closet. "Close your eyes," she commanded with a barely suppressed giggle. "I have a road trip present for you."

"Is it a pony?" Rory guessed, holding out her hands out of habit from her mother's many surprise gifts for various occasions.

"Close!" Lorelai set down the object in Rory's outstretched arms. "Open your eyes."

Rory gazed down at the explosion of pink and lace and tulle in her hands. "How is this close to a pony?"

"Close in that it's soft? It's your very own travel pillow, with a little Lorelai flair as a bonus, so you don't forget your dear mother who birthed you and raised you to be the awesome woman that you are!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"You're delusional if you think I'm going to forget you. You're going to call me every day and you know it," Rory replied.

"Well in that case..." Lorelai grabbed a side of the pillow, but Rory snatched it away from her mom and held it to her chest.

"I didn't say I didn't want it."

"Darling, ready to go?" Finn called from the porch. "The open road beckons us, we must heed its calls."

"Billy," Lorelai said solemnly.

Rory smiled. "It's just two weeks, me and Wyatt."

"And Logan. Don't forget Logan."

"I'm going to miss you," Rory said as Lorelai grabbed her into a hug.

"You too, kid. Bring me back stories. And call me every night."

"You know I will." Rory pulled back from her mom and walked towards Finn's outstretched arm. Lorelai followed her daughter out onto the porch and watch as Finn took Rory's arm, then lifted her up and swung her down the steps and in a circle on the lawn as she shrieked for him to let her down. He just laughed and set her down next to the passenger door of his BMW.

Rory waved to her mom one last time before getting into the car and rested the pillow on her lap. Lorelai waved back and watched as one of Logan Huntzberger's friends drove her daughter out of their driveway and out of their state.


	2. California Sun

Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino claims ownership of Gilmore Girls.

A/N: Look at me, actually updating. Anyway, pure Finn/Rory banter!

**Chapter 3: California Sun**

"_When I walk and they walk I twist and they twist  
I shimmy and they shimmy I fly and they fly  
We're out there having fun in the warm California sun"_

-The Ramones

Rory stared down at the directions Finn had printed out. There was even a small map of the country to go along with the step by step directions. "This is a lot of country."

Finn laughed as he merged onto the I-95 south. "I don't know if you know this, love, but America is a lot of country." He pushed on the accelerator and got over into the right lane. "Your mum is an intense lady," he commented.

"So she's been told."

"Oh good, I'm not the only one to experience this. That somehow makes me feel better." He briefly looked over at Rory and grinned at her. "I like her."

"She's a likeable person," Rory replied.

"She doesn't like me," Finn said in return, as if he were commenting on the weather.

"She just doesn't trust you."

"With good reason, love, I'm of poor moral character," he informed her. "Have you explored much of this great nation?"

Rory folded down the visor to block the sun from blinding her before answering. "I've been as far as Virginia. I've explored more of Europe than America."

"Europe is nice, if done right," Finn replied as he leaned over and opened up the glove box. Among the collection of papers and other assorted knick-knacks were four or five pairs of sunglasses in different shapes and colors. "You can take a pair or three, depending on what matches best with your outfit that day."

Rory gaped at the sheer number of sunglasses Finn had ready at his disposal. "Any of these?"

"Take your pick, pet. I'd say the pink ones for today, to go with the pillow," he suggested.

"Do I even want to know why you have pink sunglasses?" she asked, but put then on anyway and checked herself in the mirror. "These actually don't look too bad on me."

"You seem surprised. I think I know how to accessorize." He stole a glance at her and smiled faintly. "They go well with your bangs."

Rory preened a little bit more in the mirror. "Maybe I should take you shopping with me in LA."

Finn laughed loudly at that. "I don't think so, just cause I have a good eye doesn't mean I want to be your girlfriend on this trip."

"Is your masculinity threatened?" Rory asked patronizingly as she snapped the mirror shut and leaned back in her seat a little bit, finally relaxing into the situation. She was really driving across country with Finn... she didn't even know his last name. "What's your last name?"

"Love, my masculinity is never threatened. It is just incredibly difficult to pick up chicks when out shopping with a girl. For some reason, they all assume I'm either gay or with said girl. So to sum up, I will go shopping with you if you will be my girlfriend. Or if you will finally let me have Logan for my own." He smirked at her as he saw her eyes go wide, even though they were behind sunglasses. "And Finn is my last name."

Rory hugged the pillow tighter to her chest as she processed what Finn had just told her. He was joking. Right? No, he was definitely joking. He'd smirked. He was joking. Why was she obsessing over this anyway? "Finn is your last name?"

"That's what the birth certificate says, but between you and me I think it's a sham. And before you ask, darling, no my first name is not Huckleberry, and no I will not tell you what it is. There's a reason I go by my last name."

She thought about this for a second, her curiosity piqued. She'd just always assumed Finn was his first name. Then deliberately she leaned forward and opened the glove box once again.

"Nice try," Finn interrupted her thoughts. "The car is registered to my dear father. But that is very investigative journalist of you."

"Is it Phil?"

"What's wrong with the name Phil?"

"It's a name that just begs to be preceded by Puxatony."

Finn shot her a scandalized look. "It does not! Why would you even suggest it if you're going to make fun of it? But my name is not Phil. You're never going to guess it, so I suggest stopping now."

"I think you're scared I'm going to get it right," she replied.

"If you guess, I'll let you keep your first born," he sang back at her.

She rolled her eyes. "It can't be that bad."

"But I like to keep a shroud of mystery about myself, makes me a little bit more appealing to the ladies, eh? Don't you find me more attractive since you found out Finn is my last name?"

"Not really. I think it's silly."

"Silly?" Finn leaned back in his seat and slumped his shoulders. "The lady thinks I'm silly? I am befuddled by you and your natural immunity to my charm."

"I'm sorry, did I say silly? I meant melodramatic," she retorted.

"I am no such thing!"

Rory giggled and shook her head. "I think Logan was right, you are fun. So far."

"Well if we're giving out backhanded compliments, you're not the worst navigator. So far," he mimicked back to her.

"I think you'll find my ability to read a piece of paper far surpasses that of anyone else."

"I guess that school we go to is teaching us something. Maybe I should start going to class and one day I can learn how to read as well."

"A novel concept."

Finn whipped his head around to look her dead in the eye. "I hate puns."

"Are you serious?" Rory replied, flabbergasted. Sure, some people weren't partial to puns, but she'd never seen Finn be so serious about anything. Even drinking.

"They're awful. But I'm so good at them! Thus is my curse," he sighed.

"Again with the melodrama."

"I'm a one-man show, opening soon on Broadway."

Rory laughed and shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

"Easily interchanged with charming, adorable or multifaceted, am I correct?" he asked as his trademark smirk fell back into place. His eyes never left the road, but he started to laugh as Rory turned in her seat to get a better look at him. "Stop it, love, you're gonna make me blush."

"You?" she replied skeptically. "Blush? Do you get embarrassed?"

"Of course. You would not believe some of the girls I wake up to in the morning. Beer goggles are nothing to be proud of, you know." He slammed on the breaks suddenly as a semi truck swerved over into their lane. "Bloody fuck, did you see that? I swear the truck drivers on the east coast are crazy. Let me tell you, kitten, they are not this reckless on the west coast. Except for the logging trucks, of course, but can you blame them?"

On the west coast. He said it with such authority. "How many times have you driven cross country?"

"Both ways? Not more than five. This is my first time driving directly to LA though. My parents have a summer home in Orange County. When Logan, Colin and I were in boarding school together, we drove out there a few times." He snapped his fingers together as an idea came to him. "I should take you there while Logan is working."

"You mean while we're in LA?"

"Why is this so shocking? LA is boring," he informed her.

"Boring? LA?"

"Yes, love. It's just like any other big city. And traffic at two in the morning? I'd rather shoot myself in the face."

"That might be overkill," she teased.

The smirk disappeared and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I was serious about the puns!" he cried.

* * *

"'What A Difference A State Makes,'" Finn snorted with laughter, causing Rory to look up from the directions. "That's a loaded slogan."

"Are we out of New York already?" she asked. The traffic had been awful and put Finn in a bad mood, so she'd chosen to ignore his sniping until they got out of the state.

Finn nodded in confirmation. "And thank god, I was this close to saying 'fuck it' and flying us out there. But where is the fun in that? Rory, my love, we are going to become best friends on this trip!" He batted his eyelashes at her as he said this.

She chose to ignore that. "So we're in New Jersey?"

"What a difference a state makes!" he repeated with false enthusiasm.

"You're going to keep repeating that, aren't you?"

"Until it gets less funny!" He leaned over and turned off the CD of The Mountain Goats they had been listening to and turned on the radio. "There's a great trance station somewhere in New Jersey," he explained to her.

"Trance?"

"The music, dear."

"I know what trance is, I just never expected you to listen to it," she replied, still slightly surprised from this sudden information.

"What did you think I listened to, frat music? I'll have you know that I have an extensive music knowledge that branches to beyond a didgeridoo and Rihanna," he told her**. **

"To be fair, I never thought you listened to Rihanna. I actually hadn't given much thought to the type of music you listen to," she admitted. "I just never thought of you as an audiophile."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't go that far. I just like music." He stopped the scan station at the end of an awful 80s power ballad. "How much do you like cheesy music?"

"Not as much as good music," she replied.

"Trick question!" he yelled over the DJ. "They're the same thing." He broke out into a huge grin as the next song started and he turned up the volume. "Oh by the way, I like to sing."

Rory recognized the song almost instantly. To grow up with Lorelai Gilmore and not recognize George Michael? Unacceptable. Finn was grinning and bobbing his head and screaming along with the lyrics. His voice was atrocious. But his enthusiasm was infectious, and she soon found herself singing along with him, something she almost never did in front of people who weren't Lane and her mother, and certainly not in front of members of the opposite sex.

"_Oh but I need some time off from that emotion, to pick my heart up off the floor. And when that love comes down without devotion, well it takes a strong man baby but I'm showing you the door,_" they sang together, their voices drowning out the radio, "_'cause I gotta have faith_."

Finn started to laughed boisterously when Rory gave out a high pitched, "_Baby_!" but started to sing in a strange falsetto voice to make her laugh and put her at ease.

They sang all the way to Pennsylvania.

* * *

Finn stifled a yawn an hour outside of the Ohio border. He spared a glance at Rory, who had her pillow wedged between her head and the door frame, though her eyes were still open. It was a little after two am.

They'd sang and talked and ate, though he complained about all the McDonalds along the way. Really, did the restaurant chain have a monopoly on the I-80 or something? But the talking had died off around midnight as Rory's eyes drooped, though she never gave into the sleep.

"Aren't you tired, doll?" he asked her in a low voice. Something soft played in the background; he couldn't identify it with the volume turned down so far.

"I can't sleep in the car," she replied, her voice thick with sleep.

"There's a town in about twenty miles, want to stop there?"

"If you're done driving."

He smiled in spite of himself. "Don't play this game," he warned playfully, "I can drive all night. But I kept you waiting, so do you want to stop?"

She nodded slowly and he pushed the accelerator further down. Fifteen minutes later he pulled up in front of a Hampton Inn. Her eyes were closed but he knew she wasn't asleep. "I'm gonna go get a room, be right back."

She opened her eyes slightly to acknowledge that he was talking to her, but closed them again when he opened the door to get out. After what felt like forever, he opened up the door to the passenger side of the car and her eyes flew open. "Bed?"

"Come with me," he chuckled.

She barely let him turn on the lights before discarding her shoes and pants and climbing into bed and finally letting sleep overcome her.


	3. California Here I Come

Disclaimer: Owned by the ever charming Amy Sherman-Palladino

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put me on story alert. You guys are all pretty awesome. This chapter is for you! And as always, my awesome beta **cutiepiegirl**.

Chapter 3: California Here I Come

"_A sunkisted miss said don't be late  
That's why I can hardly wait  
Open up that golden gate  
California, Here I Come"_

-Ray Charles

Finn woke up the next morning in an incredibly comfortable situation. Nevermind how the bed felt, he had one Rory Gilmore snuggled up to him. Her head was on his chest and one of her arms was around his waist. The way her legs barely brushed up against his was driving him crazy. He had to get out of that bed. With a disappointed sigh, he slowly untangled himself from her so as not to wake her, and replaced his body with a pillow, which she immediately grabbed and pulled close to herself.

It was nine forty-five, just enough time to stock up on whatever was left from the continental breakfast. He'd learned many road trips ago that continental breakfast was possibly the best thing ever invented, ranking right up there with extended checkout. He raked a hand through his messy hair and then became painfully aware of exactly _how_ comfortable he'd been in that bed. Damn. Well, he'd have to take care of that, then raid the buffet.

Thirty minutes and one charmed hotel staffer later, Finn juggled his bounty as he struggled to open the door as quietly as he could. It was all for naught though, because Rory was already awake and watching TV. CNN, if he could guess correctly. The smell of shitty hotel coffee assaulted his nostrils and her eyes snapped to his when the door shut.

He held up all the food he'd brought. "I have a feast, m'lady."

"Such a provider," she teased back and swung out of bed. He couldn't help but stare at her long legs as she strode over to him and grabbed a plate of food. "Did you go downstairs like that?" she asked incredulously, referring to his shirtlessness.

He grinned at her. "Are you saying that I should try to cover up the reason I got us food ten minutes after the buffet closed?"

"Can't argue with results," she sang as she gave Finn a once over. He was wearing a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips. And that was it. No shirt. She'd never noticed how broad his shoulders were, or how skinny he was. He was incredibly skinny, which always seemed to be overlooked when he wore those garish shirts he tended to favor.

She hadn't realized she was staring until Finn asked innocently, "Would you like that bagel for breakfast or me?"

Blushing furiously she took the plate and retreated back under the covers of the bed. "I didn't mean... well, you were shirtless and I was-"

He chuckled and sat down next to her on the bed. "It's okay, love, I'm irresistible. No need to explain. What are we watching?" He grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

"Why did you ask if you were just going to change it anyway?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

He shrugged. "To be polite. C-SPAN is so boring." He stopped his flipping on the Sci-Fi channel. "Wouldn't you rather watch an awful horror movie?"

"I've already seen Frakenfish," she commented off-handedly.

He just gaped at her. "You're perfect."

She ducked her head slightly and jumped out of bed as the coffee maker signaled it was done, saving her from having to come up with a witty retort. "Did we-" she started as she poured the coffee, but then cut herself off.

Finn quirked an eyebrow. "Did we what, love?" he asked.

She bit her lip, then blurted out, "They didn't have a room with two beds?" She sucked her lip back up at that, expecting him to be angry with her.

Instead he threw his head back and laughed. "You're adorable, love. Don't worry; you kept your hands to yourself all night."

She handed him a styrofoam cup and settled back into bed. "What time is check out?"

"Noon." He watched her out of the corner of her eye as she adjusted herself in the bed and then picked up the bagel. "So you have plenty of time to shower and put on make up and all that girl stuff."

"I don't wear that much make up."

"Really?" he replied incredulously. "My god, you're beautiful."

Rory chose not to reply to that so that he didn't know how nervous he was making her. Finn was such a flirt and she hadn't seen Logan in so long. And if she was going to be honest with herself, Finn was more her type than Logan, physically anyway. Even her mom had commented on it after they'd all had lunch together. So she finished her bagel and took a shower. When she got out Finn had packed up everything and had thankfully put on a shirt. There was only so much a girl could take. She was beginning to regret agreeing to the road trip.

"Ready to go, love?" He stood up and met her eyes.

"Almost. I just have to blow dry my hair," she replied with a small smile.

"Why?"

"Because otherwise Kyan will pop up and chide me for not taking exception for my appearance," she quipped back.

Finn rolled his eyes. "We're going to be in the car for ten hours, who exactly are you trying to impress? Me? It's sweet, but all you have to do is put on a short skirt and I'm like putty."

Rory ran the comb through her hair one last time and then paused. "Okay, fine, I won't blow dry my hair."

"Oh, don't make it sound like I'm making you watch Stealth or something." He threw an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "You're pretty, pretty, pretty," he sang to her. "Do you want to drive first or second?"

"You're going to let me drive your car?" she replied.

"Are you a secret street racer?"

She shook her head. "It's just that Logan never lets me drive his car."

"Well, Logan can be a dick about his cars, which is odd considering he totals most of them. But either way, there's no way I'm driving all the way to Iowa City without your help today. Driving is hard," he whined. "Will you be the Trixie to my Speed?"

She laughed. "Okay, I'll drive first, does that sound good?"

"You're the bestest of the best, Rory Gilmore."

* * *

Finn knew all the words to every song that came on the radio. He knew the country ones, he knew the rap songs, he even knew all the words to the swing station they'd picked up for half an hour in Indiana. And he wouldn't let her put in a CD. Instead he kept pressing scan and waiting for a station to come up. Then he would sing.

"It's the spirit of the road trip!" he'd exclaimed when she complained about what was on the radio.

"What fun is a road trip if you don't sample the music of the local culture?"

"It's all country though!" she'd protested.

"Nonsense." He stopped the scanning on NPR and began to sing. Again. "_Brazil, where hearts were entertaining june, we stood beneath an amber and softy murmured 'someday soon,' we kissed and clung together_," he crooned. His voice was lower and more gravelly than she'd ever heard it. She relaxed into her seat and listened to him sing to her. "_Return I will, to old Brazil_."

"How do you know all these songs?" she asked him a little later, once he'd changed the station and found the local American Top 40 station. He was drumming his fingers to Kelly Clarkson and she giggled a little bit.

"I told you," he said slowly, "I like music."

"Even Kelly Clarkson?"

"Especially Kelly Clarkson." He smirked at her. "I bet all your preconceived notions about me are being shot straight to hell, huh?"

She smiled back at him. "Something like that."

* * *

Around the boarder of Indiana and Illinois they switched off driving. Rory grabbed the pillow her mom made her and hugged it to herself. She would have to remember to call her mom tonight when they got to the hotel room.

"What's my next direction?" Finn asked as he got back on the highway.

"Just follow all signs that say I-80 west on them and you'll be fine." Rory glanced up from the directions. "Is there a particular reason you picked Iowa City?"

"I know the three 'I' states seem boring right now, but Iowa City isn't awful," Finn informed her. "It's a quiet little college town with a fantastic coffee place I know you'll love called the Tobacco Bowl."

Rory smiled at this. "You're taking me to a place because there's a coffee place you think I'll like?"

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No problems here. I am so problem-less it's almost a problem."

Finn smirked again at her. Again, with the smirking. He always smirked. Rory was pretty sure she'd seen him give a real smile or twice. It made him look mischievous and her stomach did a tiny little flip flop. It was just because she hadn't seen Logan in a while, she assured herself.

"I wish something interesting had happened in Indiana after 1831," Finn grumbled.

Rory laughed. "I'm sure something interesting has happened since then. Rudy!"

"I said interesting, Rory," he replied condescendingly.

Instead of coming up with a retort she turned up the volume. "I love this song! _He kept dreaming that he'd be a star!_"

"_Superstar, but he didn't get far_," Finn sang back at her.

"Seriously, Finn, not even my mom knows all the songs ever. Is there a song you don't know? Some

German metal or a J-Pop group?"

He shrugged. "It's a gift. Hey look, we're in Indiana, the birthplace of Lincoln! Finally, we leave the boyhood home of Lincoln. Honestly, you Americans, you'd think there were only four presidents: Washington, Lincoln, Reagan, and FDR."

"No need to get all insulting, you swagman, we have had some good leaders," she defended.

He gave her a sideways glance. "I think you're gonna make a swell journalist, darling."

"And the non sequitur award goes to..."

"You don't believe me?"

"I believe you, that just came out of no where."

"Your deductive skills are one of the reasons I think this."

"Are there parts of this script I'm missing?" Rory shook her head and pulled her legs up so she was sitting Indian style in the seat. "Can we stop for coffee? You're kind of freaking me out."

"Me? I am the picture of sanity." He lowered his sunglasses to convey his best innocent look to her. It didn't work.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you are, Tycho Brahe."

He stuck out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. "You wound me, darling. Here I am, giving you a compliment and you tell me I dress up midgets."

"I was at Colin's birthday, are you trying to tell me that wasn't you?"

"I plead the fifth." He pushed his sunglasses back up on his face. "So coffee?"

* * *

It was dark outside when Rory finally convinced Finn to let her put in a CD. It was a mixed CD Lane made her before she left. And as it played, she realized how much Finn really did like music. Even with the rare few songs he didn't know all the words to he would bob his head and drum his fingers on the steering wheel. Finn was something else, that she was beginning to see, with his chipped black nail polish and shirts Gene Autry would call 'gaudy.' She was glad to see aspects of his personality that weren't drunken lout.

"_I was born a unicorn, I missed the ark but I could have sworn you'd wait for me. I was born a unicorn, I could have sworn you believed in me, then how come all the other unicorns are dead?_" And he was singing again. It was always slightly off-key. It was endearing.

"How much longer to Iowa City?" she asked suddenly.

"'Bout ten minutes. Why? Gotta pee again?"

Rory blushed slightly. "Yeah," she mumbled.

Finn just laughed. "With as much coffee as you drink, I'd be concerned if you didn't pee every twenty minutes. We'll be there soon."

"Finn?" She bit her lip slightly after she said his name, but pressed on before he could reply. "Have you ever thought about being in a band? I mean, you like music so much."

"My ability to play an instrument is about as good as my ability to sing, love."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "That bad, huh?"

"I've taken piano lessons, violin lessons, guitar lessons, mandolin lessons... Even the guy at one of those prep schools I went to tried to teach me how to play triangle and gave up after three days. I am a plague upon the musical world." He paused, then turned up the music. "Speaking of string instruments, is that a harp that is being warbled over?"

"Aha!" Rory cried triumphantly. "Finally, a song you haven't heard and memorized!"

Finn gave her an exaggerated eye roll. "Yes, darling, some of those exist. This is too girl-folk for me."

"Yet you'll listen to the Mountain Goats without complaint. They're folk too, mister," Rory argued.

"But they sound less like someone strangling a cat and then throwing it under a bus," he replied.

"Joanna Newsom just needs time to grow on you. Her lyrics are amazing!" she gushed back to him.

"Like a fungus?" Finn muttered.

Rory glared at him. "Not like him. I'm sorry that you're too busy listening to Akon to appreciate inspired music that doesn't talk about being in jail or smoking weed."

"Love, this song is definitely about a one-night stand, so perhaps you should re-evaluate – what do the kids call it, street? How 'street' this sheila is before you go making insults about Convict Records," Finn told her.

Rory moved her legs from the indian position to touching the floor. "You only know it's Convict Records because he says it in every song."

Finn chuckled. "What is it going to take for you to be okay with me not liking this Joanna Newsom? A cookie?"

"Yes, actually, a cookie would be nice."

"Oh, look, we're here," Finn dead-panned.

"Already?" Rory replied just as sarcastically. "It's almost as if someone is trying to shirk his or her duties as cookie-giver."

"I was thinking of the Hampton Inn again," Finn said pointedly. "It has late check out and is surprisingly nice considering the cost."

"Are you sure you don't want me to chip in a little? I know you said you have it all covered, but I feel bad that I'm not paying anything for this trip."

Finn held up his hand as he got on the off ramp. "Relax, dear, I have this covered. Just because I'm looking for a bargain doesn't mean I'm suddenly Little Orphan Annie, it just means I'd rather stay in a place that doesn't cost four hundred for the night so I have more money to spend on booze. Financial smarts isn't something to joke about, love."

"I'm almost proud of you," Rory told him.

"Almost is something." He pulled into a driveway and park. "Perfectly non-threatening, considering how Nick and Daisy we are right now. Did you want to come in with me and make sure that scoundrel of a clerk doesn't mess up our sleeping arrangements like they did last night?"

"Lead the way, Nick."

"After you, Daisy."

* * *

"Hey, Ace," Logan said when he answered the phone. "How're you doing tonight?"

"I'm only two time zones away from you now!" Rory replied happily as she sat under the covers of the plush bed.

"Finn told me that you two are in Iowa City now. That's a great little town, almost makes up for the fact that it's actually in Iowa. Are you enjoying it so far?"

"I ordered pizza and I finally have some time alone to read and eat and did you know that Finn knows every single song that's ever been recorded, baring the folk genre? He even knows the country songs!" she exclaimed. "If I never have to hear _Honky Tonk Badonkadonk_ again, it will be too soon. He's the Rain Man of music."

"Oh, Rory, don't let him try to tell you that scanning the radio for music is a time honored tradition, because Colin and I fight him on that very subject every time we're in the car with him for more than ten minutes," Logan said. "Actually, are you with him right now?"

Rory blushed, thinking about how they'd slept in the same bed last night. "He's out right now, he didn't say when he was getting back. I have something to tell you though. I'm sharing a room with him."

"Okay," he replied. "I kind of figured you would be. His sleep talking isn't waking you up, is it?"

"You're okay with this?" she asked doubtfully.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be? I trust you both."

Rory let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "I just didn't want to keep anything from you." She picked up another piece of pizza from the box on her lap. "So tell me, do you have an embarrassing car chase on video yet?"

* * *

The door swung open violently around one in the morning and Finn literally spilled into the room, having tripped over his open feet, and woke up Rory with a start.

"Guess what?" he staged whispered to her when she sat up suddenly in bed. "I'm a tad bit drunk."

"You don't say." She got out of bed and helped him stand up and get to his bed. "So this is where you were going a few hours away when you said you were going out?"

"Don't be passive-agressive, love," he admonished, "I'd take you out, but you're regretfully underage and even I can't compete with small town War on Underage Drinking." He made a grab at his shoes but failed to even touch them. "Kindly help me out? I seem to forget how to take off clothes. Thank god I didn't take anyone home, that would have been awkward. Is it hot in here? I feel like it's reaching levels Saharas would find unbelievable."

Rory sighed. "It's not hot in here, you're just drunk. Let me help you with the shoes."

"But don't take advantage of me, darling, I am much too vulnerable in this state and couldn't possibly be responsible for my actions. Take me, love, and I shall explain to dear Huntzberger why we've suddenly eloped to Vegas!" Finn cried dramatically.

"I can't take you anywhere, can I?" Rory murmured as she finished pulling off Finn's shoes and started unbuttoning his shirt. "You're going to have to do the rest when I finish."

"Because my amazing abs are too much to control yourself around?" Finn waggled his eyebrows and shrugged off his shirt before flopping back on his bed.

"Something like that. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She climbed back into her bed and made herself comfortable in the multitude of pillows.

"Admit it, you find me irresistible," Finn sang.

Rory stifled a laugh. "Goodnight, Finn."


	4. It Never Rains In Southern California

Disclaimer: Did you know Amy Sherman-Palladino owns this? Hey! Me too! Let's be friends.

A/N: Man, Real Life fucking blows, doesn't it? I wish boys fawned over me for ages like they did with The Gilmores [no I don't (well kind of)]. Anyway, everyone who has clicked on this story (even by accident. I will lure you into liking this story!) is pretty damn cool in my book. Just so you know and if you care (don't lie, you totally care).

Chapter 4: It Never Rains In Southern California

_"Seems it never rains in Southern California_

_Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before _

_It never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya_

_It pours, man it pours"_

-Albert Hammond

Rory woke up the next morning around nine, fully expecting the bed next to hers to still be occupied. Instead, it was empty and the whole hotel room was darkened.

"Finn?" she called out.

"In here," came the reply. "Come hither."

"To the bathroom?" she asked. "Why are you sitting alone in the bathroom?"

"Just come here," Finn said impatiently.

Sighing, Rory got out of bed and turned on the lights in the bathroom. Finn was sitting in the bathtub with a wash cloth over his eyes and one leg swung over the ledge. Naked. Finn was naked.

"Lights off," he moaned before she could react.

She complied quickly and backed out of the bathroom. "Finn. You're naked."

"I usually am when I'm in the bathtub."

"What are you doing in the bathtub? In the dark? Naked?"

"I'm Franny, obviously," was the sarcastic reply. "It's a hangover bath, love. I'm terribly hungover. Not quite sure how I got back from the bar to the hotel, but I somehow managed it."

"You forgot how to take off your shoes," Rory helpfully supplied.

"That sounds like me. It's a wonder why I bother to wear the bloody things anyway. But I'm glad you're up. I need water," he whined.

"You're sitting in a tub full of it," she pointed out.

Rory could practically hear him pouting. "That's not funny, love. I need sparkling water. And aspirin.

Please?"

"I don't know, whining and begging all in one sentence? There are very few times I get to hear both from you at the same time."

"Ro-ry!" He stretched out her name as long as he could. "I'm in pain. I thought you were a humanitarian."

"In too much pain to warn me that you were naked?" she shot back.

"Yes," he replied. "Can you help me out so I can take you to the Tobacco Bowl? Please, love? With sugar on top?"

"I'm sure I can find this place on my own. It's called the Tobacco Bowl?"

"Stop teasing me. That's not nice," he admonished.

Rory laughed and pulled on a skirt. "Will you be out of the bathtub when I get back?"

"No."

"Will you at least cover up when I bring it in?"

"Maybe. Is my sexiness too much for you to handle?"

"I'm leaving now!" she called out, louder than was necessary and was rewarded with another moan from Finn.

On her way to the gas station she called her mom. "Hey, kid, what's up?"

"Getting some sparkling water and aspirin for Finn. He's in a hangover bath right now."

"Hangover bath? That's a new way of getting water into the body," Lorelai commented. "How's my own little Raoul Duke enjoying her first full blown road trip across America so far?"

"Dr. Gonzo and I are having the best of times," Rory replied. "Finn knows more songs than you and Lane combined."

Lorelai gasped. "Not possible. How is that possible?"

"Every time we changed the channel - because he insisted that the only way to listen to music on a road trip is to scan the radio and see what comes up, which leads to a lot of country and Finn trying to sing like he's Alan Jackson – he knows the song. It's equal parts impressive and annoying."

"Does Dean Cain know about him?"

"I'm sure there's been talk of him around Times Square," Rory replied. "What's new around the Hollow?"

"At the last town meeting, Taylor proposed the Second Annual Stars Hollow End-of-Summer Madness Festival," Lorelai said.

"Wasn't the first annual one almost three years ago?"

"Technicalities, according to Taylor. Apparently the bike race has increased tourism so much that he wanted to re-instate it, which led to a forty-five minute long debate: a capella band or no a capella band?" Lorelai laughed. "The town was divided! Taylor banged his gavel a lot and Kirk started shouting that he didn't want to ruin his relationship with anyone in the town and it was minutes away from turning into Los Angeles, '92."

"Well?" Rory prompted after a pause. "I'm on the edge of my seat here."

"A capella band won by a slight margin, on the promise that they know more than one song. We're going to hold auditions next week," Lorelai told her, barely able to contain her excitement. "I'm going to bring a video camera for you. My only regret is that I wasn't vocal enough during the debate itself."

"You, not vocal enough?" Rory repeated doubtfully. "I'm so upset I missed it."

"Miss a little, miss a lot," Lorelai quipped. "Where are you today anyway?"

"Iowa City. Apparently it's a college town, but I'm having my doubts."

"Corn."

"Gonna need a verb or maybe an adjective."

"There's corn in Iowa," Lorelai stated. "That's all I know about Iowa."

"That's about the extent of my knowledge of this state as well. Allegedly, there's a really good coffee place somewhere in this city, but Finn told me about it so the chances of it actually existing aren't that great."

"I have my fingers crossed for you."

"I miss you, mom," Rory said sadly.

Lorelai smiled. "Miss you too, Ror. Now go help cure Finn's hangover so he can take you to this coffee place that may or may not be somewhere in that city."

* * *

"This coffee is amazing!" Rory exclaimed.

Finn nodded from where he was splayed in the chair with a cigarette dangling out of the side of his mouth. "I knew you'd like it, love. Mind driving today?"

Rory smiled at him. "As long as you buy me another cup of coffee."

"Done." He waved a server down. "Another cup for the lady, and when she's done with that a large cup to go." He paused. "And a pack of American Spirit black."

"You didn't have to do that."

"Love, I'm going to be chain smoking during the entire five hour drive to Lincoln, you're gonna want coffee, I know you're not terribly fond of smoke," he told her.

She sighed. "Are you really so hungover that you need to wear those sunglasses inside?"

He shot her a faint smirk. "These are my hangover sunglasses. And for your information, they're pretty fantastic. They don't let in any stray sunlight, and when I look at windows I can see patterns in the glass."

The waiter dropped off Rory's third cup of coffee as she asked, "Aren't those glasses for people who have cataracts?"

"I guess I'm too cool to explain how awesome these are to you." Finn sighed dramatically. "Just when I think you're hip enough."

She started giggling. "I want to see you sing _Brazil_ again with those on."

"Neither of those things makes me old."

"Or maybe _Smoke Gets In Your Eyes_. What do you think of kids these days?"

"Nothing but a bunch of whippersnappers," he replied without skipping a beat. "I'm just an old soul, darling. An old-fashioned guy, if you'd say."

"Hey, remember when you could get lunch and then go check out the picture show for just a nickel?" Rory asked. "Man, weren't those the days."

Finn just laughed and started packing his cigarettes.

* * *

Rory had barely just entered Nebraska when Finn startled flailing about the passenger seat and grinning. "We're finally in Nebraska!" he cried excitedly and started flipping through radio stations.

"Looking for something in particular, Spazzy McFlailington?" she asked.

"101.9, only the best of the 80s and 90s music in Nebraska. I've never heard something I hated on this station."

Rory gasped. "There are songs out there you hate? Say it isn't so!"

"Bennie and the Jets and anything by Fleetwood Mac," Finn automatically replied, then frowned. "Actually, 101.9 has played Fleetwood Mac."

"Bennie and the Jets? What's wrong with Bennie and the Jets?"

"Because I h-h-h-h-h-h-hate songs that stutter like that, and it's approximately a zillion years of Elton John trying to get that fucking b out so he can finish the damn word before singing it again for the rest of my natural life."

"You've thought a lot about this," she commented.

"It's come up a lot."

"How much you hate Bennie and the Jets has come up a lot? You live an interesting life."

"A-ha!" Finn exclaimed triumphantly. "Found it! More Than Words? No one can move me like Extreme moves me."

Rory laughed and started to sing with him. She had to admit, it was a pretty good station – especially if you loved awful music as Finn seemed to do. And she almost had to pull over to the side of the road as he did his William Shatner impression.

"And I think it's going to be a long, long time," he said, pausing dramatically to take a drag from his cigarette and let the smoke out, "Till touchdown, brings me round again to find, that I'm not the man they think I am at home, Oh No! No! No! I'm a Rocket Man." He punctuated each syllable by raising his voice higher every time and ended that verse with a fist pump.

Rory was almost in tears by the time they reached Lincoln. After seeing how much amusement it had brought her to see his rendition of Rocket Man, Finn decided to sing every single other song in what he called his "Creed voice." Hearing Finn yell Total Eclipse of the Heart had almost been too much for her.

Fortunately, they made it to the hotel Finn had chosen for the night without crashing and were now standing inside a shockingly nice lobby in a hotel called The Cornhusker. Rory couldn't wait to call her mom and tell her where she was.

The kid at the desk didn't look any older than them. "Checking in?"

"Yup, before storm rolls in, mate," Finn replied casually. "No reservation." He took out his wallet and pulled out his black card. "I believe you can help me though."

The boy blinked. "Smoking or non-smoking?"

"Non-smoking."

"Two beds," Rory chimed in.

He typed something into the computer. "Where are you headed to?"

"LA," Finn told him.

"Oh cool. I just had some friends out there, they said it was great."

"Really?" Finn asked disinterestedly. "For what?"

The boy looked down and blushed slightly. "Cannabis Convention," he muttered.

Finn laughed loudly at that and it echoed throughout the lobby. "I bet they had a good time. Let me tell you, I've been all over the world, and the weed is not as good anywhere as it is in California. I hope they brought you back some, mate."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, we don't have any non-smoking, two bed rooms. Would a non-smoking king work?"

Finn swung an arm around Rory's shoulders. "Of course it would. Does that work for you, honey? I know your mum said no sharing a bed before marriage, but I know how you feel about smoking rooms."

Rory resisted the urge to shove him off her, and instead smiled pleasantly. "As long as you keep your hands to yourself, she'll be fine with it," she told him pointedly.

"The lady hath spoken. Give us the room, good sire."

The clerk swiped his card, asked for some personal information, and then gave them their room on the fourth floor. Finn grabbed her hand in the elevator and rubbed her palm with the pad of his hand.

"Are you having fun, darling?" he asked her as he made sure to make eye contact with her.

Rory smiled up at him. "I am, actually. I'm having a lot more fun than I thought I would."

"So little faith in me," he teased and squeezed her hand briefly before releasing it. "Sorry 'bout this morning also, I guess I forgot my audience."

"It's okay, just maybe a little warning could have helped the situation. Maybe we should come up with a signal, like Morse Code or a secret word," she suggested as they got off the elevator

"Or I could just tell you I'm naked." Finn smirked. "It's okay, I'm hot. I'm sure you called your mum up right away to talk about how much you wanted to do me in the bath, but resisted the urge due to my hungover state."

She rolled her eyes and waited by their room while Finn fumbled around and tried to get the key out. "Yes, I was considering your feelings in that. My not jumping you had nothing to do with Logan or how I feel about you, but your hangover," she replied sarcastically.

He triumphantly opened the door and held it open for her to go in before him. "You know, a little bit more sarcasm would have been nice." He laughed and started taking off his clothes.

"What are you doing?" Rory gasped.

"Uh, boxers time, darling. It's approximately seven hundred degrees, have you not noticed? And the fact that it's going to rain tonight isn't doing the sticky water feeling in the air any favors," he pointed out as he stepped out of his pants. "Is there a problem?" He flopped down on the bed and turned on the TV. "I have decided I love the person before us because they left it on USA. Monk marathon?"

"You aren't going out to drink?" she asked in surprise. "I thought there was a certain amount you had to drink every day to function as a normal human."

"Who do you think I am, Bender? I can survive twenty four hours without a beer. I'd just not rather get caught in that tonight. Did you see that lightening? That sky is menacing, love," he said with a chuckle.

Her eyes got wide. "Is it tornado season? No, that's dumb, it's August, that isn't tornado season, right? But isn't this tornado alley? Isn't that what Twister taught us?"

"Calm down. This is not a tornado storm, but I can go down and ask the desk clerk if you'd like."

She shook her head. "I believe you. It's just that I've never lived anywhere with tornadoes before, all I hear about is how destructive they are and how they'll take you to Oz."

"No one is going to take you to Oz. Would you like to lay down now?" He patted the bed. "I swear it's comfortable."

She laughed. "I believe you. I'm not going to strip down to my underwear though."

He shrugged. "Your loss." She laid down on her side of the bed. "Do I need to put a pillow barrier between us, love? I could make you a Great Wall of Pillows if you'd like."

"I think we should be fine," she replied as she snuggled into the bed. "Though we could use some snacks."

"Tomorrow," he promised. "I don't want to get up again."

* * *

Rory woke up with a start as thunder rumbled above her. Finn was sitting next to the window, whispering into a phone. Her phone.

"Finn?" she called out.

He looked over and put a finger over the mic. "Did I wake you, doll?"

She shook her head. "It was the thunder. Are you on my phone?"

"Logan called and it woke me up, I figured why not talk to my best mate?" He held the phone out to her. "Want to talk?"

She walked over to him and looked out the window. Rain was coming down in sheets and the winds were blowing the trees so hard the branches nearly touched the ground. A flash of lightening was followed by almost immediate thunder. "It's right over us."

"That is it," Finn replied as he handed her the phone.

"Hey, Ace," Logan said softly. "Finn told me you were sleeping."

"I am – was. I was."

"Well go back to sleep. I just wanted to tell you that missed you and I can't wait to see you."

She smiled. "I miss you too. We'll talk when I'm more coherent so we can banter more efficiently and you can laugh at all those Gilmore-isms I have."

"Sleep well," he replied.

She handed the phone back to Finn and lingered slightly as their fingers touched, before pulling her hand away quickly and going back to bed. "Go to sleep soon, Finn."

He laughed slightly. "Soon, I promise."


	5. California Calling

Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino, though she's unaware, is my new best friend. However, that does not give me ownership of these characters.

A/N: So, I know, it's been a while. We can still be friends, right? Hey, where are you going? I brought presents! This is dedicated to my extremely patient beta, cutiepiegirl, and to every single person that has clicked on this story. What up? You're awesome. Tell me about your day. Do you live in Southern California? Wanna talk about the rain?

Chapter 5: California Calling

_Now there's a touch o' Californ-i-a  
In everyone who's ever been this way  
And when your telephone begins to ring  
And the operator comes on the line  
California callin'  
I'll be there right away _

-The Beach Boys

It was still drizzling slightly outside when Finn and Rory checked out of the hotel. When she'd originally gotten out of the shower and found that Finn had gone through her bag and picked out an outfit for her to wear, she'd been pretty upset. And of course he'd laid out the sundress that her mom had thrown in there while she wasn't looking. The back dipped low and the hem was short. Finn had begged, cajoled and finally bribed her to wear it. She was beginning to think he was onto something. Not that she would admit something like that to him, she wanted free coffee for the rest of the trip. But despite the overcast day, it was still humid and sticky out. The slight drizzle didn't help matters.

"Someone's bright eyed and bushy tailed," Rory commented as she watched as Finn bounded to the car. "Did you get much sleep last night?"

"Not really. Sleep deprivation does wonders for my mood," he replied with an eye waggle. He was wearing board shorts and a light blue t-shirt that said Balboa Ferry on it. "Oil change, breakfast and record store sound good for you?"

"Breakfast then oil change if you know what's good for you," she said as she got into the car.

"Breakfast during oil change?" Finn suggested as he slid into the driver's seat. "Do you wanna rest your legs on the dashboard? I don't mind if you get foot prints on the windshield."

"That's very generous of you, but I don't think I feel comfortable doing that in this short dress that you rummaged through my suitcase to find."

"But you've got great legs, love," he pointed out with a slight leer. "I'm driving all this way, I should at least get some leg action for that."

"Finn!" Rory exclaimed. "Is that why you picked out this dress for me?"

He smirked at her. "If I say yes will you take it off?"

"I feel dirty."

"You took a shower. You're fine. We're gonna go to the record store and breakfast and tomorrow – zoo!" Finn grinned impishly at her. "I love the zoo."

"You just went through four facial expressions in the past minute."

"I'm a very expressive person," he proclaimed with a dramatic flourish of his hands.

"Okay, James Stewart, can we get breakfast now?" Rory asked.

"Can I stare at your legs while we walk up to the restaurant?"

"All you want."

"To breakfast it is!"

Rory ordered three cups of coffee at breakfast, and made Finn stop at the Starbucks across from the street Jiffy Lube just to spite him. In retaliation he whined in her ear the entire time she was looking through records and bought a Best of the 90s Alternative Hard Rock CD.

She made him buy her another venti coffee.

* * *

"You did this on purpose," she grumbled as they drove out of Lincoln listening to the CD Finn put on. "I thought you had a radio rule."

"I thought you hated my radio rule. I'm just putting on something that isn't 101.9 The Big O," he replied innocently. "You told me you were tired of listening to country and rap."

"But I guess the same songs everyone brings up when someone mentions the 90s is a better option?"

Finn smirked at her. "You're getting very snappy about the music, love. Too much coffee?"

"You're way too perky for someone who only slept for three hours last night."

"Blame your boyfriend. He was just dying to talk to me. Well, to you. But I am a good substitute for you, I suppose." He laughed riotously as if he'd just told a hilarious joke. "So, doll, I can't be the only one who noticed how every single customer service representative of the male gender was utterly adorable."

"Utterly adorable? How old are you?"

"Um, I'm a hundred. You whippersnappers are all adorable," he deadpanned.

"Now that you mention it, the guy at the record store was kind of cute. And the guy at the coffee shop." Rory frowned as she thought about it. "Same with the guy at the front desk."

"And how stoned was the kid at the front desk?" Finn asked. "When I asked him how to get back to the I-80, he just stared at me and asked why I'd want to go back to the eighties."

"I thought you wanted to go back to the eighties and see Flock of Seagulls during in their prime," she teased.

Finn scoffed. "No where nearly as bad as I want to see Van Halen perform with Diamond Dave."

Rory laughed. "And here I had you pegged as a power ballad guy."

"See what happens when you make assumptions? What about you; if you could go back in time and see one band, who would it be?"

"Please ask an easier question, maybe something about the Hadron Collider?" she asked. He just gave her a look, so she leaned back to think about it. Finally, she answered, "Either Queen with Freddie Mercury, or Simon & Garfunkel when they'd actually look at each other on stage."

He nodded his head, which turned into bobbing as he turned on the radio. "_Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night, I can see paradise by the dashboard light!_" he howled to Rory's amusement. He spared a look at her. She was wearing a pair of bright yellow sunglasses that complimented her gray dress. He hadn't been kidding when he said that dress looked good on her; her legs seemed endless when she wore it. "I love this station. Nebraska is the kind of place I'd like to visit longer," he told her.

"Considering all the places you've been, that's high praise," she commented.

"It reminds me of home," he said wistfully. "I mean, I grew up in Sydney, but I went camping a lot. Granted, love, I also lived right next to the beach, which is why we have a house in Orange County."

"So what's your first name?"

"Nice try. I'll tell you if you go to Orange County with me." He smirked at her. "Maybe."

* * *

The idle chatter continued on and off for the next couple of hours. He told her about growing up in Australia and how he had ended up in boarding school ("my dad's second wife wasn't too fond of me or my sister impeding on her time with him"). In return she told him about Stars Hollow and Mia and Chilton. He laughed and laughed as she told him about how awful Francie was ("Colin's first serious girlfriend," he'd told her, which made sense when she thought about how Colin acted) and how she and Paris had hated each other.

"Speak of the devil," Finn muttered as Rory was telling him about her prep school days. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and briefly looked at the caller ID before throwing it to Rory. "Can you answer this, darling?"

Rory looked at the phone. The caller ID flashed 'Mrs. DuGrey.' "You want me to talk to Tristan's mom?"

"Something like that. Can you answer it? This construction seems to have no end, and I don't joke around with driver safety." His tone was serious, but the way his lips curled up when he said it lead her to believe that he might have actually been kidding. "Plus I don't want to talk to her."

Rory sighed and flipped the phone open. "Finn's phone," she said.

"Where's Finn? Avoiding me like usual?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Stephanie?"

"Isn't that what it said? I believe he also has an incredibly unflattering photo of me passed out to accompany it," Stephanie responded. "Is he driving in a construction zone, or is he really just avoiding me?"

"He's driving in construction," Rory replied. "Sorry, I was thrown off, the ID said 'Mrs. DuGrey.'"

Finn started to laugh, then brought his hand up to his mouth to stifle himself. Stephanie let out a long-suffering sigh. "Tell that jackass that isn't funny. I can hear you laughing, Finn!" she screamed into the phone. "Anyway, I just wanted to know what your progress was. Colin said you guys were in Lincoln last night. Has Finn tried to convince you to move to the Midwest with him yet?"

"Not yet, but he's told me all about how much he loves Nebraska," Rory told the other girl.

"He saw Twister when he was like twelve and is now convinced that storm chasing is his calling in life. Nevermind his lack of experience or how bored he would be in the Midwest. How are you doing on this odyssey of yours? Excited to see Prince Huntzberger again?"

Rory frowned. She hadn't really even thought about Logan today. She'd been so caught up with Finn, it hadn't even sunk in with her that she was closer to Logan. "Uh, yeah, I'm really excited," she lied, convincing enough to elicit a squeal from Stephanie but not enough to stop a strange look from Finn. "And the trip hasn't been so bad. I didn't realize Finn knows every song ever though."

Stephanie laughed. "It gets really annoying. And I don't know if you've noticed, but Finn can't sleep that well in hotel rooms, so he'll start to get really delusional after a while. It's a lot of babbling and coffee. Have fun!" she chirped. "Tell Finn to change my name back – better yet, you should do it – and call me when you guys get to LA."

"Why does he have you as Mrs. DuGrey in his phone?" Rory asked.

"Because I'm married to Tristan," she replied in a tone suggesting Rory should already know that.

"Didn't I tell you that?"

Rory's eyes widened. "Uh, congratulations. No I didn't hear that, congratulations."

"Thank you. We'll get together when you get back and I'll unabashedly flaunt it. Actually, one of my favorite games is to show off my ring to other girls in front of their boyfriends," Stephanie admitted. "It's evil, but I get a kick out of the way guys glare at me when I do it."

Rory didn't know whether to laugh or gasp at that. It was so mean, but at the same time she could see how much Stephanie would enjoy something like that. "Well, I'll call you when we get back. Congratulations again."

"You can stop saying that, I know Tristan wasn't too nice to you in high school. But the man can pull off a military uniform like nobody's business. Okay, I've monopolized enough of your time! Go interrogate Finn. Tell him to fuck himself for me. Bye, hun!"

"Bye, Stephanie," Rory replied as the other girl hung up. She was still stunned about the marriage thing, and much like with her mother, it was hard to get a word in while Stephanie was talking.

"You don't have to tell me, I heard," Finn told her when Rory snapped the phone shut. "And I know you're going to find the politest way to ask, so here's the skinny – see what I did there – on the weirdest marriage of all time. They were dating casually when he got shipped off to military school. Then he joined the Air Force and got stationed in Germany for a year before the base closed and he got stationed state side. Last winter he and Stephanie got married. But they're still casual because she's in college. Or they're not? I haven't asked in a while, the whole thing makes me sick."

Rory sat back to digest the information just given to her. It was a few minutes before she asked, "Why does it make you sick? It's not the most conventional marriage I've heard of, but it's no Billy Bob at the Oscars."

"They are the most dysfunctional couple I've ever met. Why anyone would let them in the same state, let alone live together, is beyond me. All they do is fight." He shuddered comically. "I don't know how she puts up with him. The military may have helped, but he's still an insufferable brat."

"I'm going to guess you don't like him," she deadpanned.

"Something like that."

"So they're married."

"Yeah." Finn sped up a little as the construction zone ended and the lane next to theirs was re-opened. "You want some more free coffee now, dear?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

* * *

Once the sun set, Finn convinced Rory to drive the rest of the way to Denver by promising her that she could control the music. Not that she could hear it over his talking anyway. He was practically bouncing in his seat and commenting on everything from the weather ("It's barely sprinkling, why is every jackass slamming on their breaks?") to the only other person on the highway with Connecticut plates ("You should race them," was his suggestion).

"How old are you, ten?" Rory finally snapped at him. "You're acting like I just fed you a pound of sugar and then took you to the petting zoo."

"You never mentioned anything about a petting zoo, doll," he replied playfully. "Relax, I just love Denver. We're still going to the actual zoo, right?"

She let out a breath and laughed. "Yes, Finn, we're going to the actual zoo. But can you calm down? You're driving me crazy."

"That's rather rude. How do you know you weren't crazy before me?"

"Speaking of crazy, what's with this two phones business?"

"One for my friends to call me on, one for girls I've hooked up with to call me on. Therefore I don't have to keep it on all the time."

"That's incredibly gross."

Finn shrugged and lit up a cigarette. "Some girls are needy."

Rory rolled her eyes. "I stand by my original statement. Don't you think one day you'll meet a girl that you might want to stick around for more than a one night stand? How will you know if you give her a number of a phone you almost never turn on?"

He laughed and ashed his cigarette out of the window. "When I meet a girl like that, do you think I'll give her my booty call phone number? Give me a little more credit than that, love. I'm not very good at relationships. There are a very finite amount of women in this world that will put up with someone such as I." He smirked at her. "And unfortunately, Logan seems to have gotten one of those girls that does."

"You'll find someone, Finn," she replied encouragingly. "I know you will."

* * *

Not long after they arrived in Denver and got a hotel at an incredibly nice Hilton in the middle of downtown (with two beds, thankfully), Finn took off and left Rory alone. She grabbed a book and was about to do some exploring of her own when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"For someone who said they're going to call everyday, you're doing a very bad job of keeping in touch with your poor, abandoned mother," Lorelai admonished.

Rory sat back down on her bed. "Yes, I abandoned you to run away to LA with Finn. He knows somebody in the industry that can put me in the pictures! That's why I haven't called yet today and diabolically answered the phone when you called."

"Your evil plan comes out! I should have known you wanted to be a star when you got the lead in the Stars Hollow production of Peter Pan. You made such a good Wendy, but I never knew that would be the thing that took you away from me." Lorelai sighed dramatically. "How's life on the road?"

"Amber waves of grain. But apparently Finn is completely at home here. He wants to move to the Midwest and chase tornadoes," Rory said. "Oh, and I found out today that Stephanie got married last winter. To Tristan of all people! That was just freaky."

"Stephanie is one of Logan's friends, right?" Lorelai asked. "Remind me who Tristan is again?"

"He went to Chilton with me until he got shipped off to military school."

"Oh that Tristan! Wow, that is weird. And they're a little young for that, aren't they?"

"Finn says they're totally dysfunctional. It's just so weird that I know people who are getting married."

"Makes you feel old, doesn't it?"

"I should just start collecting cats I find at the side of the road."

"I'll stock up on tuna at Dooses tomorrow. Speaking of Taylor, plans for the festival are coming along just as usual."

"So Gypsy has accused Andrew of trying to sabotage her booth because she has a better location and Miss Patty is teaching her dancers and Taylor is inefficiently trying to delegate?"

Lorelai giggled. "All of that, plus Kirk is trying to get into Miss Patty's dance class."

Rory laid down into the fluffy pillows, knowing this was going to be a long conversation. "Isn't he a little old?"

"Not according to his mom."

* * *

Rory was finishing up her conversation with her mom when Finn swung the door open with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Mom, I'll call you tomorrow, I promise. Kramer just came in," Rory told Lorelai.

"Tell him I say hi. Love you, sweets."

"Love you too." Rory snapped her phone closed. "You look really happy."

"I found a party to go to. Get dressed. You can play beer pong, right? What am I saying, of course you can," Finn rambled as he flipped her suitcase open. "You might want a jacket. The Mile-High City gets a wee bit chilly at night. Do you have heels?"

"None that go with this dress," she replied.

"Fine. You look smashing anyway."

"I haven't agreed to go to this party, Finn."

He just looked at her. "Why would you say no? It's gonna be fun."

"Do you even know these people? How do you know it's okay? Where is it? And don't we have to drive tomorrow?" Rory asked.

"After the zoo. We should be hangover-free by then. I just met these guys, but it's at the college, so I doubt it's going to be anything too nefarious. I mean, you don't have to go, but it'll be fun and you should be my date to save me from all the vicious Denver trollops." Finn gave her his puppy dog eyes and she laughed. "Please, love?"

She quickly squashed the butterflies that started up in her stomach at the idea of being Finn's date. That was just silly. "Okay," she relented. "But not too late."

Finn jumped up and down gleefully. "You're the best, Gilmore. You won't regret it, I promise."

Rory sighed and grabbed a sweater. She somehow doubted that.

* * *

They were undefeated champions at beer pong.

"Straight line, mate," Finn called out to the team whose asses were being kicked. This was the fifth team that had thought they could take out the unstoppable duo of Finn and Rory. "Cheers." And he sank the ball into the back cup.

Rory giggled a little bit as she lined up her shot. "I'm gonna make this one," she promised.

"Of course you are, love."

She squared her feet, raised the ball and arched her shot. It sailed over the table and hit one of the guys in the stomach. "Oops," she giggled again. "Next time!"

Finn wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into his embrace. He'd had a few side beers and shots to go along with their games, so he was almost as drunk as Rory. The poor girl just didn't drink as much as he did, that was no ones fault. She was giggling again at something someone of less importance had said. The first guy missed his shot, but his teammate took advantage of Finn's zoning and bounced it.

"Fuck," Finn swore and picked up two cups, one for him and one for Rory which she happily took. "Okay, love, are you ready to get serious, beat these douchebags, and go home?"

"Of course!" she yelled back and picked up a ball. "You first."

He picked up his ball, shook the water off, and sunk it into the front cup. Not wanting to get cocky, he just smirked at the opposing team and stepped back so Rory could shoot. With a look of determination on her face, she squared her hips and shot. It bounced off the rim of the first cup and landed in the cup right behind it, effectively winning the game with no chance of rebuttal.

She started jumping up and down and into his arms. "I did it! I won the game. I've never won a game before, I'm usually much better when the game first starts but I won the game! Maybe there is something to the whole 'the more drinking you do, the better you are' thing."

He chuckled and swung her around for good measure. "You did a wonderful job, darling. But I think as reigning champions it's time to leave as winners. Sound good, love?"

"Yes! Finn. Mr. Finn. I will figure out your first name, Mr. Finn."

"One day." He grabbed her hand and led her out of the party without bothering to say goodbye to anyone. It's not like anyone would really notice, anyway.

The hotel wasn't too far away from where the party had been. He stopped on the street corner to light a cigarette, and then laced his fingers in hers again. Rory was humming slightly, but nothing he could identify. "Did you enjoy the party?"

"Very much, thank you for making me go," she replied happily.

"Oh, don't say it like that, I don't want to sound like I'm forcing you to go. I don't want to be That Guy who makes you go to parties."

"It wasn't a bad thing. We won at beer pong! I should play that more often." She paused thoughtfully. "When I've played at Logan's, I haven't been too good."

"That's because you're usually playing with Rosemary or Juliet. Bless their hearts, they can't play beer pong for the life of them." Finn took a drag of his cigarette and spotted a gas station up ahead. "We're gonna make a quick stop, love. Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay, Mr. Finn," she confirmed. "Can we get cookies? You owe me a cookie."

He laughed. "I do, don't I? I almost forgot about that."

"A Gilmore never forgets the promise of cookies."

He led them into the gas station across the street from the hotel and grabbed two big bottles of water, two orange juices, some Advil, and a pack of Oreos. "Drink this," he told her when they got out of the gas station.

Rory nodded and took a long sip. "You're really good at taking care of people."

He nodded and lit up another cigarette. "A lot of practice. Don't hate me in the morning though, love. I bought you cookies."

She laughed and tore open the pack. "You're pretty cool, Finn. I was worried that because we don't know each other that well that this would be really awkward, but it's not."

"You're pretty cool too, Rory. Drink some more water."

She nodded and complied. "How long have you been smoking?"

"Since I was fourteen or fifteen, before I left Australia. It's not so taboo down there. Does it bother you?"

"A little," she admitted. "But I don't know a lot of people that smoke."

"Good for them. It's a filthy habit." He took one last long drag and then dropped it and ground it out with his foot. "Are you ready for bed?"

"So ready. I did not expect to drink this much."

"Well, beer pong will do that to people. Speaking of drinking, I want half that water bottle gone before I put you to bed, missy," he commanded playfully.

"Oh, you're going to put me to bed, are you?" she replied.

He just put his arm around her and took her to the elevator. She leaned into him and he could feel her smile against his chest. When they got to their floor he swept her up into his arms and carried her to their room while she laughed and laughed. He deposited her on her bed and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and pee.

She ran into the bathroom after him, presumably to do the same thing, and came back a few minutes later in her pajamas. She smiled at him and crawled into his bed next to him. He raised an eyebrow as she nestled herself into his side and wrapped his arm around her.

"You're so comfortable. Night, Mr. Finn," she mumbled.

He kissed the top of her forehead and turned off the light. "Night, Ms. Gilmore."


	6. Interlude Brinner

Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino claims ownership of Gilmore Girls. I just occasionally play.

A/N: I'm awful. I finally update and it's a silly little interlude. I swear to you I'm writing. But I've been busy. I got a big girl job and it takes up a lot of my time. Needing money is a silly concept and I can't wait until the day our currency is bottle caps. I will be the richest woman! In other news, let's read a quick little interlude about my favorite meal: Brinner (breakfast for dinner). As always, dedicated to my too patient beta **cutiepiegirl**.

* * *

"Stop it!" Rory slapped Finn's hand as it hovered above her plate. He pulled it back quickly with a scandalized look. "My bacon."

"Our bacon," he corrected.

"It's not communal bacon."

"I'd like to think that we've grown as friends these past couple days. We're closer, sharing feelings and thoughts. And food."

"I told you to get your own bacon. But you said that you'd be good without it."

"Yes, love, you are the Cassandra of breakfast food. May I please have a piece?"

"No."

"Half a piece?"

"No."

"Tiny bite?"

Rory laughed. "Nope."

"A smidgen? You won't even miss a smidgen." Finn batted his eyelashes at her. When she didn't reply right away, he grinned triumphantly. "You're faltering," he crowed. "Gimme!"

"You're mistaken, sir, I have an iron will."

"And an iron heart," he grumbled.

"And to think I was softening up a bit."

"You're an evil woman." Finn grinned widely. "E-e-e-e-vil woooooman," he sang.

Rory rolled her eyes at him. "Embarrassing me in public won't get you bacon."

"But it'll make me feel better."

"When the people in white coats take you away, I'll be sure to tell Logan that you went out grinning."

"This is Utah, darling, and you're drinking coffee – if they're taking anyone away, it's you." He smirked at her. "Next thing you know I'll be gossiping with you and having premarital sex. I won't have you lure me to sin with your caffeine temptations."

"Says the guy who bought a six pack of Polygamy Porter at the last gas station we stopped at."

"Purely scientific research."

"And chugging one in the parking lot?"

"Testing a theory."

"Is the theory that you're insane?"

"Incorrect, the theory is how far I can take this until you relent and give me a piece of bacon."

"Point: You have put a lot of thought and effort into this, whereas it would simply be easier to order bacon from the waitress who not only keeps looking over here but slipped you her number on a napkin."

"Counterpoint: Simply ordering bacon defeats the purpose of what I will henceforth refer to as 'Victory Bacon.'"

"Counter-counter point: I grew up with Lorelai Gilmore. Unless your next move is Abu Graib, this is small fish compared to what I've lived through." She leaned back, victorious, and took a big bite of bacon to drive her point home.

Finn winked at her. "Never give up, never surrender!" he bellowed, surprising the table next to them.

Rory merely rolled her eyes back at him, slapping his hand away again when he tried to snag a piece. "Stephanie was right, you do get loopy."

"I'm cuckoo for Coco Puffs, darling," he drawled.

"How you managed to make that sound dirty, I'll never know. I'll never look at Coco Puffs the same."

"Have I ruined breakfast foods for you? Do they seem all... tawdry now?"

"Keep dreaming, John Lennon."

"See, I understood that reference. You're slipping, Miss Gilmore."

"Perhaps it has to do with my dinner companion hounding me for my bacon like a rather annoying dog?"

"Testy."

"You could call it that."

"Cankerous. Quarrelsome. Petulant. Captious."

"Someone read the thesaurus."

"Someone's condescending."

Rory raised an eyebrow, then, quickly stuffed a piece of bacon in her mouth with a defiant look on her face. "What now?" she muttered with a full mouth.

Finn laughed. "You really don't give up."

"Never give up, never surrender," she shot back, using the same mocking tone he had used with her.

"Using my own lines back at me? Tsk tsk, darling, hoarding that delicious goodness must be more stressful than you are letting on. You're slipping."

"Or maybe I'm lulling you into a false sense of security so you think I'm slipping."

"I think you aren't hungry anymore and your pride won't let you give up the bacon. That silly selfish streak you have is impeding both of our happiness."

Rory smiled and picked up the last piece of bacon and slowly started chewing it until it was gone while Finn sat there mouth agape.

"I can't believe you just did that!"

"I can't believe you challenged me."

"All hail Rory Gilmore, Queen of Bacon."

"That has a nice ring to it."

"I'll make you a crown of all the forks I've stolen from all the shitty diners we've stopped at."

Rory gasped. "Finn! Have you seriously been stealing forks?"

"Too lame? I've never set my sights high." He smirked at her.

"Does this mean the Bacon War is over now that I've been crowned Queen of Bacon?"

Finn sighed dramatically. "I suppose. I regretfully announce my defeat to the more worthy opponent. I humbly bow out of the race. You put up a hell of a fight, Gilmore."

"You were a suitable advisory, but I was just better." She shrugged. "I was taught never to lose."

Finn laughed and threw a tip on the table. "We pay up front." He stood up and offered his hand to help her up as well. "Ready to continue for the night?"

"Are you driving?"

"Your chariot awaits m'lady."


	7. A Friend in California

Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino has claimed lordship over these characters, but I've decided to usurp her power for the time being and will them to my bidding.

A/N: I'm the worst. I am shamed. So, I'm an insane person and moved across the country back to dear California (in case you can't tell, this story is basically a long love letter to my state)... and now am moving back to Raleigh. All within six months time. That does not excuse my serious lack of updating, I am aware. But... gas prices.

Chapter 6: A Friend in California

_L.A. traffic is bad this time of year__  
__But there's a friend of yours in California__  
__Sure wishes you were here__  
__And as you lay your head on your pillow tonight just remember__  
__There's a friend of yours in California sure misses you  
_  
-Merle Haggard

A small sigh and some shifting in bed roused Finn from his sleep. Slowly he let his eyes adjust to the dark room and then memories from the night before started to seep back in. He was in bed with Rory Gilmore (again) and Logan was so going to kill him (again) for this. He rolled over and checked the time before crawling out of bed, careful not to wake up his companion. She looked so cute, and he was pretty sure she was going to have a hangover twice as bad as his when she woke up.

She didn't even move as he tripped over his suitcase and cursed and hit the wall. What a trooper. He was almost jealous of her ability to sleep this well, especially when he couldn't. He pulled on a pair of shorts and a shirt and grabbed his pack of cigarettes and lighter, making sure that one of the joints he'd rolled was in it, then headed for the back of the hotel.

It was sprinkling. Finn cursed and hide under an overhang as he lit the joint and inhaled deeply. Soon the headache and the nausea would subside and he'd be able to deal with Rory's hangover. He chuckled to himself, then coughed. She was going to be fun today. She was fun everyday. Damnit. Between getting her drunk and developing some sort of weird crush on her, Logan was not going to be pleased. And Logan would be able to tell. No matter how he denied it, he was a great reporter. And excellent perception came with that talent.

After stamping out the burned paper, he opened his pack again and pulled out a cigarette and sat down. Between all the dates his parents had been setting him up on and how killer finals had been, he'd needed this trip. Granted, he wished he'd gone on it with Colin, but Rory wasn't bad company. Hell, that was half the reason he'd wished Colin had gone in her place. Maybe he'd get Stephanie to convince her to dye her hair red.

That wasn't a good plan either.

Finn took one last drag of his cigarette and put it out. He got to his feet and inhaled deeply before going back inside, stopping to grab the newspaper from the lobby. Rory was still asleep in the same position, so he quietly stripped down and got into the bathtub with his paper.

It wasn't long before he heard her moving around in the room, before the door to the bathroom opened and she shuffled in to refill the water cup he'd left next to her. She didn't even blink as she turned around and sunk to the ground, putting her head on the cool tile. "I think it's a tumor," she moaned. "I developed a beer tumor. It's going to explode."

"It's not a tumor," he replied in complete deadpan. "Did you take the Advil and Tylenol concoction I left beside the water?"

"You mean the reenactment of Valley of the Dolls on the nightstand beside me? I took about half of it. I'm pretty sure taking all of it would have caused liver failure."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "You spent all night drinking, but now you're worried about liver failure? You're a strange one, Ms. Gilmore."

She winced at the mention of alcohol. "I'm so sorry for-"

"Okay, I'm gonna have to stop you right there for a few reasons. A) You're really going to apologize to me, of all people, for drinking? B) What is there to apologize for? We fucking rocked beer pong, then you were concerned for my health. Yeah, you're such a bitch when you're drunk, love," he finished, complete with an eyeroll.

"I just don't get drunk that often."

"And that's your choice. But to let you know, you're just as fun drunk as you are sober. Nothing to be ashamed about."

"This hangover says otherwise."

"Well, your hangover can suck it. We're gonna have an awesome day." He folded up his newspaper and set it down on the toilet. "Besides, you aren't even that hungover. It'll be gone after you eat."

Rory groaned and lifted her head up. "You're the expert"

"Don't be a smartass," Finn sang as he stood up in tub. Rory didn't avert her eyes in time and froze as the water trickled down his abs and off his board shorts. She wrinkled her eyes at that.

"You're wearing board shorts," she stated.

"Indeed I am, love. After our last little experience, I decided to be proactive about my hangover needs. No need to feel ashamed," he teased.

Rory just blushed as he wrapped a towel around his waist and accepted the hand he offered to help her up. He pulled her up carelessly, using too much strength, causing her to stumble and brace herself on his chest. The water droplets on Finn's chest dampened her pajamas and his breath hitched as she was pulled nearly flush against him, but she barely noticed. Instead she clutched her palm to her head and snapped her eyes open.

"Too fast," she informed him.

He sighed and lifted her up onto the counter. He dampened a towel and laid it on her forehead. She smiled softly as the warm towel covered her eyes. Finn lifted her feet up on the counter as well and squeezed her hand.

"We'll check out in an hour and then zoo time. Sound like a plan, love?"

She nodded slightly. "You're so good at taking care of people, Finn."

He shrugged, even though she couldn't see him. "It comes with the territory of solely befriending functioning alcoholics," he joked.

"You can't tell, but I'm rolling my eyes at you," she replied.

"What I can't see won't hurt me."

"How very existential of you."

Finn chuckled and pulled the door shut behind him. "Changing now, love. Best stay in the bathroom to protect your fragile virtue."

Once he was safely in the room, Finn let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He could still feel on his chest where she had touched him earlier. This was incredibly not good.

* * *

Finn was right about one thing, and that was that Rory's hangover went away when he took her out to breakfast. She got eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and hashbrowns at a sketchy diner a couple blocks from the zoo. Finn was literally bouncing in his seat waiting for her to finish. She had told him to lay off the coffee he was drinking by the gallon, but he called her a hypocrite and they settled it by getting her her own pot of coffee.

It was a hot day for Denver, nearing 85 degrees. Rory wore a skirt and tank top with flats while Finn wore shorts and a t-shirt. When they got out of the car, he impulsively grabbed her hand and threaded her fingers with his. This startled her, but when she tried to yank her hand away he held it tighter.

"I don't want to get lost," he whined.

She shook her head but didn't try to remove her hand again. Finn knew he was being equal parts selfish and petty, but he really couldn't bring himself to care. For the next two hours he got to pretend that Rory Gilmore was actually his girlfriend and he was at the zoo. Life was good.

* * *

"Looks like we left at a pretty good time," Rory commented as she peered up at the sky from the driver's seat. Dark clouds loomed in the sky, threatening rain over the land.

"I think we should have stayed in Denver and had Logan meet us there," Finn pouted from the passenger seat.

"You said the same thing about Lincoln," she pointed out.

"I don't mean it any less." He reached over as he said this and pressed scan on the radio, stopping when he found a radio station he liked. "_Well I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body, I know not everybody has got a body like you!_" he sang to her as he walked his fingers teasingly up her arm.

She swatted him away. "You're so silly."

"It's charming, isn't it? Admit it, you're considering leaving Logan for all this."

Rory laughed and shook her head, but didn't reply. "Where did you want to stay tonight?"

"Vegas!"

"That's ten hours away, we'll be getting there when the sun's coming up," she argued.

"Exactly! We'll be going to bed when everyone else is," he retorted.

"Sleep deprivation is considered torture under the Geneva Convention." She didn't need to look over at him to know that he was fluttering his eyes at her. "You can't pout your way out of this one, mister. We're stopping in Utah."

He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms against his chest as he huffed defiantly. "You're so mean. How come it works when you pout?"

"Because my pout is adorable. I learned from the best," she informed him.

"Damn you Gilmore women," he muttered.

She just laughed.

* * *

Finn popped a Vicodin and laid down on the bed. If Rory ever realized just how many painkillers he had on his person, she would most likely sit him down and have A Talk with him about his questionable addiction problems. And really, it's only a problem if it's hurting someone, and as far as he knew no one was hurt if he took a Vic now and then because Utah kind of sucked and his options were a Travelodge in a town the size of his pinky or camping.

And fuck camping.

To be honest, the Travelodge wasn't that bad, but he wasn't going to let Rory know that. He was still playing upset about not being able to drive all night and get to Vegas, and even though tomorrow when they got there it was going to be epic, it still kind of sucked. Cause now he was stuck in Utah. And landlocked states kind of bored him.

Everyone assumed that because he was from Australia, he could survive in the wilderness. Sure, he knew how to deal with a sting ray and a jelly fish sting and getting cut by a reef and hell, even how to defend himself against a shark, but those all had one thing in common: ocean. He was an ocean boy. And Salt Lake was certainly no ocean.

Though those Mormons had it right with the polygamy thing.

The painkiller was kicking in finally, and he reclined on the bed and listened to the water running in the bathroom as Rory showered, and then Rory's phone going off and he should probably answer that because it was her mom and the phone was right next to him and she'd probably send the National Guard after him if someone didn't answer.

Things were getting silly. Things were silly.

"Hello, dear Lorelai," he sang into the phone.

"I swear, I've talked to you more on this trip than my own daughter. Is this her way of telling me she hates me? Because I birthed her. She can't hate me. She's supposed to be past that phase anyway," Lorelai replied.

Finn was beginning to regret answering the phone. Things were slowing down but Lorelai was speeding up and maybe he shouldn't have smoked before taking that Vicodin as well. Or maybe he should have just not answered the phone.

"Does this mean that you'll be joining us tomorrow in Vegas? I can book you on a flight out tonight, first class. We'll show those bastards a thing or two about how to do the Strip right."

"I take it she didn't let you drive all night to get there?"

"She's so mean!"

"I am delighted to inform you that she gets that from me."

"You? But you're so charming! I'm tempted to sweep you off your feet, but that would be clearly unfair to your dear beau."

"Yes, that is tempting, but unfortunately it would be terribly unfair to Luke, so you'll have to keep your unrequited love just that," she replied. "Where is my daughter?"

"She's in the shower. We've had a very long day."

"You sound tired."

Finn cursed. She was going to send the National Guard after all. "I don't sleep well in hotels."

"Uh huh. Can you tell Rory to call me when she's out of the shower?"

"I'll make sure it's the first thing she does. Ms. Gilmore?"

"Yes, Finn?"

"I miss you."

That actually elicited a laugh from her, which made him feel better about the safety of his life, at least for the next few days. "Talk to you later."


	8. La Cienega Just Smiled

Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino is the owner of the playground, but I am playing in her sandbox!

A/N: All of the sudden this story just came back to me! Yay! And more Finn/Rory plot is being set up. So, there we go…. Progression. Anyway, enjoy the story, I just literally wrote most of this very late (instead of packing, shame on me). So… read it.

Chapter 6: La Cienega Just Smiled

_How'd I end up feeling so bad  
For such a little girl  
And I hold you close in the back of my mind  
Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt  
And I'm too scared to know to how I feel about you now  
La Cienega just smiles..."see ya around"_

-Ryan Adams

"Finn is a little peculiar."

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about him," Rory replied to her mother.

"I talked to him again last night. It was a very _Less Than Zero_ conversation," Lorelai said.

Rory rolled her eyes. "That's not very nice. Or true. "

"I'm just trying to do the mom thing, Rory. You know, being concerned about you being a million miles away and all that."

"Yes, a million miles away."

"Going to Californiaaaaa," Lorelai sang.

Rory heard Miss Patty say something in the background in regards to Lorelai's loud singing. "Where are you?"

"Doose's, of course."

"Of course. Tell everyone I say hi."

Lorelai cleared her throat and Rory could hear something being moved. "Stars Hollow citizens, my dear daughter would like you to know that she has navigated the world in a large, wooden ship and has claimed land in the name of our King Taylor."

"Lorelai, I am not a king," was Taylor's exasperated reply.

"He's tried," Ms. Patty added.

"Yes, well, unfortunately this is still a democratic country," Taylor sighed.

"At least pretend you're upset about it," Babette shot back.

The rest of the argument that was ensuing in Doose's market was muffled and Lorelai came back on the phone. "See what happens when you leave us? Anarchy ensues."

"The town must have been destroyed when I went to college then."

"It was. Every time you visit it's just a very elaborate set decoration and some good hair and makeup people."

"So the Stars Hollow I've come back to visit is just smoke and mirrors? How very _Lost_ of all of you."

"We do this all for you, you know."

"Lucky me."

"I mean, since the town was destroyed in the great riots, we need new land, which is why I'm so happy you've gone out on this fact finding mission for us."

"That's me, one half the historic Gilmore and Finn expedition."

Lorelai frowned. "You can't use your last name and his first name. That's not very symmetrical."

Rory laughed. "Finn is his last name."

"Now you tell me? No wonder my background check came back inconclusive."

"You did not have a background check done on him!"

"If you count trying to ask Emily Gilmore about her social life as having a background check done on him, then yes."

"I can't even imagine what that conversation went like."

"'Oh, Lorelai, I can't even imagine why you would think that I would know about some plebian with only one name to go on. Honestly, you're interrupting my virgin sacrifice,'" Lorelai said in a high pitched mocking tone of her mother's voice.

"Something in that strikes me as untrue, but I can't quite put my finger on what it might be," Rory replied sarcastically.

"You're right, she didn't use my name."

Finn suddenly shot up in bed, eyes wide. "I heard the word virgin."

"Mom, I gotta go. Sleeping Beauty is awake and I think disoriented."

"Logan knows that you two are sharing a room, right? We're not about to have another Dean-Jess debacle?"

"Mom!" Rory practically screeched. "That is so ridiculous."

"I had to make sure. Go be Prince Charming. Platonically, of course." Lorelai paused. "Miss you, kid."

Rory smiled. "Miss you too, mom. I'll call you tonight."

"I'll wait by the phone all night."

Rory snapped her phone shut. "Mornin, Sam."

"Mornin, Ralph."

"Sleep okay?"

"I had a weird dream about circular trains. It's too hard to explain. But I saved a group of kindergarteners from a hard life of drug dealing. Where's my medal?" Finn swung his legs out of bed and stretched, his abs going taut and Rory most definitely was not staring at them.

"I'm getting it engraved. It'll be ready by the time you get out of the shower."

"Stop thinking about me in the shower."

"What?" Rory yelped. "I'm not thinking about you in the shower!"

Finn smiled bemusedly at her. "I was teasing. You don't need to get so defensive, Gilmore." He patted her on the head as he passed by on his way to the bathroom.

She stared at him as he shut the door, and then flopped down on the bed. She needed to talk to Logan. This was getting too out of hand. She dialed the familiar number, but it went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Logan, I was just thinking about you. Oh, jeez, I just realized that it's working hours, you're probably in a meeting. I'm actually glad your phone was off, that awful ringtone you have for me would go off and you'd have to fumble to turn the ringer off and then everyone would stare at you and I'm rambling. Anyway, call me back. I'll talk to you later."

* * *

"So this is the desert." Finn held his hands out wide and gestured broadly to the landscape around them.

"It looks different during the day," Rory commented, taking in the scenery. "I was expecting more camels. Or maybe vultures circling around bones, possibly singing about friendship."

"Utah isn't the Sahara, love."

"Thanks for the geography update."

"That's me, your walking atlas."

Rory looked out at the sprawling desert in front of her. They'd stopped at a lookout point on the 15 South after almost three hours of driving. The wind was blowing slightly, and there was a family taking a photo against the backdrop. She had to admit, it was pretty gorgeous. But then again, most of Utah was. The whole state was practically national park.

"What is it like traveling all the time?" Rory asked one they'd gotten back into the car. She was sitting shotgun and Finn had on a pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses.

He smiled slightly and turned down the radio. "Your grandparents are Gilmores, darling. They half own a house in the south of France. And you're telling me that you haven't traveled with them?"

"I backpacked across Europe with my mom after high school. And I went back the summer after with my grandmother."

"And you're asking me about traveling?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "I've been to Europe twice. You were born in Australia and Logan told me that you've been to six of the seven continents."

"What's your dream vacation, love?"

"Traveling the coast of Vietnam. Visiting the beaches in Thailand. Exploring the palaces of the Raj in India." She leaned back against the seat and smiled. "What's your dream vacation?"

"I've never done the Endless Summer," he admitted.

Rory laughed. "That I wouldn't have guessed. I figured you, Logan and Colin would have taken off some time during sophomore year to travel around the world looking for the perfect wave."

It was Finn's turn to laugh. "Can you imagine Colin – the man who travels with his own iron – staying in huts in remote villages on the African coast?"

"And that's your dream vacation?"

"Don't let my sunglasses fool you, I'm not all about my products. I would love to canoe the Amazon and sleep in tents." He smirked. "I grew up privileged. I went to Johannesburg and Vienna and Rio de Janeiro. But I always wanted to see what was beyond the four star hotels and swanky bars."

"That's surprising, actually."

"Why? From what I've heard, you and your mother don't share differing opinions."

Rory opened her mouth, but then shut it again. It was true. "I guess after Chilton and Yale and –"

" – Logan," Finn finished for her. "It's a fair assumption."

The next hour was silent until Finn stopped to get gas. Rory hopped out to pee (and get an ice cream bar, but Finn didn't need to know that) and Finn was leaning against the car when his phone started vibrating in his pocket.

"Hello, beautiful," he chirped into the receiver.

"I'm fucking divorcing him!" Stephanie screeched back into the phone.

Finn rubbed his temple. "What did he do this time?"

"He's such an ass. He brought home another fucking girl from the bar. Said it was a present for me, because we'd been throwing around the idea of a threesome."

"And you didn't invite me?"

"Fine, take his side! Fuck you, Finn." And she hung up with a frustrated scream.

Finn stared at his phone as he slowly closed it, holding it as though Stephanie might jump out of the screen and strangle him. The pump finished and he shook himself out of his daze. Steph was a weird bird, that was for sure.

"Did you just get a very manic call from Stephanie too?" Rory asked as she approached the car. "She just asked what it would take for me to kill you and leave you in Death Valley."

"She's such a sweet girl, wouldn't you say?"

"What did you say to her to get her so upset?"

Finn laughed. "She's crazy. She thought I was taking Tristan's side in a fight they had. I hadn't said a word either way."

"Oh, Finn. For a playboy, you certainly know nothing about women," Rory said, shaking her head. "By not saying anything either way, you just took Tristan's side."

He blinked at her. "That's insane. That is the way a crazy person thinks, you know." He climbed in the car. "No ice cream for me? After all I've done for you!" He cried dramatically.

"Like annoying Stephanie so much that I get a screechy phone call from her demanding that your blood flows like the Colorado River?"

"That was too specific."

"That was actually a direct quote. I'd watch out."

* * *

Beep. "Mate, it's Finn. Just a heads up, your adorable girlfriend is incredibly persuasive, and we are no longer stopping in Vegas (despite my literal tears, a heart of stone she has!) and are driving straight through to LA. Just wanted to give you a chance to wrap things up. Turn on your phone, dick."

* * *

Beep. "Hi, Logan! Finn and I just passed through Vegas, surprisingly not hitting too much traffic. Your phone has been off all day, but we're going to come pick you up at your office for dinner. I'm going to see you in four hours!"

* * *

Finn insisted Rory drive once they hit the California border on the 15 so he could light up a joint. She had crinkled her nose and almost cried when they passed a cop.

"Rory, relax. They don't particularly care here. And plus, if I cannot follow in the footsteps of the greatest man to make it alive down this particular stretch of road, there is basically no point in living." He smirked and held it out to her. "Want some?"

"What is this, a bad 1980s PSA? You already know I don't smoke," she yelled at him.

He shrugged. "Your loss. What do you think of California?"

"I know California is a lot of desert, and I guess I should have expected that, but this is more desert than I expected, to be honest."

"It gets better. Well, more irrigated. Hey, take this next exit and turn left, please."

"Manners? Where are you taking me?" She gasped dramatically. "Who are you?"

"I'm taking you to literally the greatest place on earth."

"Literally?" she teased.

"Yes, woman, literally!" Finn pointed frantically to the fast food restaurant on their left and indicated for her to park. He jumped out at an inhumane speed and was bouncing on the balls of his feet waiting for her to get out.

"In-N-Out?" she asked, following him into the rather crowded restaurant.

"Just sit. I'm putting the infamous Gilmore metabolism to the penultimate test, love."

Rory cocked her head inquisitively, but he just motioned for her to sit. She took in her surroundings; nearly every table was full with people happily eating huge burgers. To be fair, the whole place smelled amazing and she could feel her stomach start to make hungry noises as she waited for Finn to return. The menu was small, very kitschy 50s drive up style.

After what felt like thirty minutes later but in reality was closer to half that time, Finn returned with a huge tray of food that he deposited in front of her with a huge grin on his face. "Welcome to California, love. And the best burger on the planet."

Rory looked wide-eyed at the food in front of her. There were two burgers. One with two patties, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, and a mysterious sauce. Finn put that one in front of her. The one he took had at least four patties and even more toppings, but the sauce looked way messier. There were also two orders of fries with melted cheese, onion, and more of that sauce. And there was a chocolate milkshake in front of her.

And then she took a bite of the burger. "Oh my god. I've died. And gone to heaven. Heaven is a burger joint! I knew it! Mom bet me it was a place where we could watch actors and directors have Heart of Darkness style meltdowns for our mocking pleasure, but I told her heaven was where the perfect burger existed. And I've found it. Or rather, you've shown it to me. As a Gilmore, this is tantamount to you saving my life, I hope you know."

Finn just laughed and took a sip of his drink. "And one day, you will be called upon to do a mysterious favor in return."

"What do you have?"

"A 4x4, animal style."

"What's animal style?"

"The sauce that they put on our fries."

"You can get that put on your burger as well? I didn't see that on the menu."

He winked at her. "That's because it's on the secret menu. Now eat up. This isn't the only In-N-Out we'll be going to, I promise."

* * *

LA was, in a word, confusing. Finn drove them into the city, taking five interchanges in at least as many minutes, navigating them around the 8pm traffic on the 405 as they headed past the seemingly endless skyscrapers and high rises.

"People don't interact as much here as in New York," Finn had warned her. "Everyone stays in their cars."

"Nobody walks in LA," she had muttered back, much to Finn's delight. He had started singing as loudly as he could until she turned up a mariachi station to drown him out.

But driving through LA was a wholly different from what she had imagined. For one, everyone drove like crazy people. Finn was zipping in and out of lanes, going 90 mph at some parts, and he was one of the safer drivers on the road she felt. But when she stole glances at him, he was totally comfortable. He had a relaxed smile on his face and looked very much at him. Which she supposed he was, if he had stayed here so often as a teenager. He probably learned to drive on these streets.

"The hotel I'm staying at is a few blocks away from Huntz's apartment in Santa Monica, but he works in Westlake. Did you want to go to the hotel first or to see him at work first?" Finn questioned.

Rory smiled and ducked her head slightly. "Would it be totally girly of me if I wanted to go see him at work?"

"You sure, doll?" Finn prodded, discreetly checking his phone. No new messages from Logan. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

She nodded emphatically. "That is a hundred percent where I wish to go. Onwards!"

Finn couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. "You've really missed that arse, haven't you?"

"Well, haven't you?" she replied.

He watched as she rolled down the window, then rolled it back up with a crinkle of her nose ("smog is a real thing!"). "Sure," he finally answered. "I guess I have."

* * *

Rory looked up at the building in front of her as its gleaming glass loomed over her. Finn had parked over a block away, and she was glad she had taken that sweater he'd suggested. It was a little chilly, for the middle of summer.

Finn nudged her in the ribs. "You've seen taller in New York," he teased.

"I know! But this is LA. The City of Angels. This is the city that has inspired and haunted so many great artists."

"Do you want a moment with the building, or shall we go inside and find your illustrious beau?" Finn didn't wait for an answer, but grabbed her by the wrist and gently led her in. She lingered in the back while he flirted with the receptionist.

"She says Logan is up in his office," he reported to her.

She grinned and squeezed his hand in the elevator as the car rose to his floor. "I'm excited. And nervous."

Finn didn't reply as he looked at his phone one last time. No new messages. _Ready or not_, he thought as the doors opened.


End file.
